Ghana Records GH¢7.69 Billion in Financial Irregularities as Deputy Minister Demands Tighter Audits

According to a report by 3News published on October 20, 2026, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem has urged internal auditors across Ghana’s public institutions to strengthen checks on procurement processes, payroll systems and major government investments to prevent financial irregularities and protect public funds.

Thomas Nyarko Ampem made the appeal during an event marking the 25th anniversary of the Institute of Internal Auditors Ghana. He spoke on behalf of the Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and stressed that effective auditing is essential to ensuring that public resources are used for their intended purposes.

He called on internal auditors to adopt digital tools, data analytics and continuous risk assessment to identify financial risks before they result in losses. He also urged heads of public institutions to protect auditors’ independence, provide them with the necessary resources and act promptly on their recommendations.

Thomas Nyarko Ampem warned that Ghana’s development ambitions could be undermined if money intended for infrastructure, education, technology and job creation continued to be lost through weak financial controls.

Figures from the 2025 Auditor-General’s reports showed that financial irregularities across five categories of public institutions declined from approximately GH¢20.72 billion in 2024 to GH¢7.69 billion in 2025. This represents a reduction of about 62.9 per cent.

Although he welcomed the improvement, Thomas Nyarko Ampem emphasised that the remaining amount was still significant and required sustained efforts to strengthen accountability.

He also disclosed that an audit of the government’s legacy arrears and payables resulted in the rejection of GH¢8.1 billion out of GH¢68.7 billion in claims submitted for verification.

According to him, some rejected claims involved inadequate supporting documents, duplicate submissions, falsified receipts and payments for work that had not been performed.

The Deputy Finance Minister argued that preventing improper payments before they occur is more effective than attempting to recover public funds after they have been lost.

He urged public institutions to treat audit recommendations seriously and ensure that identified weaknesses are corrected rather than repeated.

The call forms part of broader efforts to improve public financial management and ensure that government resources support economic development and deliver tangible benefits to Ghanaians.

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